Folding door construction



May 12, 1970 J. w. MATYAS 3,511,300

FOLDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 12, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ETAE lNl/EN TOR JOH/V/Il/VIA 77445 A T TORNEYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 160-206 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The folding door construction disclosed herein comprises an upper pivot assembly and a lower pivot assembly for pivoting a panel of a multipanel door in a door opening. A guide assembly guides another of the panels along a track. The lower pivot assembly comprises a sleeve frictionally held in the panel and a pivot pin which is threaded on a nut journalled on the sleeve and slidable in an opening in the sleeve. The upper pivot assembly comprises a sleeve frictionally held in the panel and a pivot pin which is yieldingly urged outwardly from the sleeve for engagement with an opening in one of the door panels.

This invention relates to folding doors.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a folding door construction which utilizes novel lower upper pivot assemblies which is readily insertable with a minimum use of tools and labor; which lower pivot assembly can be readily manipulated with simple tools to adjust the door; and which pivot assemblies have long life and will effectively withstand the wear in operation of the door.

In accordance with the invention, the folding door construction comprises an upper pivot assembly and a lower pivot assembly for pivoting a panel of a multipanel door in a door opening. A guide assembly guides another of the panels along a track. The lower pivot assembly comprises a sleeve frictionally held in the panel and a pivot pin which is threaded on a nut journalled on the sleeve and slidable in an opening in the sleeve. The upper pivot assembly comprises a sleeve frictionally held in the panel and a pivot pin which is yieldingly urged outwardly from the sleeve for engagement with an opening in one of the door panels.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary part sectional view of the door embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 33 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 44 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention relates to a folding door that comprises a plurality of panels 11, 12 that are hinged to one another at 13 about vertical axes. The panel 11 is pivoted to the top and bottom sides of a door opening 14 while the panel 12 is guided in its folding and unfolding movement by a downwardly opening U-shaped track 15 into which a guide assembly 16 having a guide roller 17 thereon extends.

The upper end of the panel 11 is pivoted by a pivot assembly 18 that extends into a vertical opening 19 in the 3,51 1,3 00 Patented May 12, 1970 ICC panel. Pivot assembly 18 has a spring loaded plunger 20 therein that frictionally engages a recess in a pivot fitment 21.

In accordance with the invention, a lower pivot assembly 25 is frictionally held in a downwardly opening vertical opening 26 in panel 11.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, lower pivot assembly 25 comprises a sleeve 28 of organic plastic material such as nylon that is generally cylindrical and has a non circular opening 29 therein comprising arcuate portions 30 having a common center and flats 31 interconnecting the arcuate portions 30. A pivot pin 32 having a complementary cross section including arcuate portions 33 and flats 34 is inserted in the opening 29. The lower end of the pin is formed with threads 35 at the arcuate portions thereof.

A nut 36 is journalled on the lower end of the sleeve by an arrangement which includes a radially outwardly extending flange 37 on the lower end of the sleeve, a complementary flange 38 on the upper end of the nut, and a metal cap 39 which has its edges 40, 41 crimped over the flanges 37, 38 to journal the nut on the sleeve.

The lower pivot assembly 25 is inserted in the opening 26 in the panel 11 by tapping the assembly upwardly with a hammer or the like. Vertical ribs 41 on the outer surface of the sleeve 28 facilitate the frictional engagement of the sleeve 28 with the sides of the opening.

The lower end of the pin 32 thereon is adatped to engage a bracket assembly 27. Bracket assembly 27 comprises a right angle member 42 which has a vertical leg fixed to the door jamb and a horizontal leg extending generally parallel to the floor. A movable U-shaped bracket 43 is adjustably mounted on the horizontal leg by screw 44 and nut 45, the screw 44 extending through an elongated slot in the horizontal leg of the angle member 42. The bracket 43 is provided with an opening 46 in which a plastic fitment 47 extends. The fitment 47 is generally cylindrical and includes a horizontal flange 48 that engages the top surface of the bracket 43. A transverse wall 49 extends across the bottom of the tubular fitment and the pin 32 engages the upper surface thereof as shown in FIG. 2. The transverse wall 49 extends diametrically across the bottom of the fitment defining spaces 50 so that portions of the cylindrical wall adjacent these spaces are flexible. The outer surface of each of these flexible portions is formed with projections 51 so that the fitment can be snapped into the opening 46 flexing the flexible portions of the wall to trap the fitment between the flange 48 and the projections 51. The bottom of the fitment 47 is adapted to engage the floor so that the full load of the door is transferred through the pin and transverse wall 49 to the floor.

In order to adjust the door position vertically, a wrench is engaged with the noncircular outer surface of the nut 36 to rotate the nut and thereby translate the pivot pin 32 upwardly or downwardly. The upper end of the pivot pin 32 is unthreaded so that it is impossible to completely remove the pin from the door panel, thus insuring that at least some pivot support is provided for the door panel at all times and that the pivot support cannot be inadvertently lost.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the guide assembly 16 and upper pivot assembly 18 are substantially identical in construction except that the guide assembly has the roller 17 thereon.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 4 and 5, the plunger 20 is yieldingly urged outwardly by a spring 55 that is interposed between a shoulder 56 on the plunger 20 and a radially inwardly extending annular projection 57 on a sleeve 58. The sleeve 58 is made of organic plastic material such as nylon and is generally cylindrical. The sleeve 58 has a radially extending flange 59 on the upper end thereof and a metal cap 60 is crimped over the flange. The cap '60 has an opening -61 with a lesser diameter than the internal diameter of the opening 62 is the sleeve 58.

The sleeve 58 has a plurality of axially extending projections 63 on the external surface thereof which extend axially downwardly from the area of the flange to the area of the projection 57. The sleeve 58 further includes a plurality of annular generally V-shaped projections 64 on the lower end thereof around the outer surface thereof. The projections 64 are deformed upwardly. The plunger 20 further includes radially extending flange 65 and a deformed portion 66 on the lower end thereof which engages the underside of the projection 57 to limit the outward movement of the plunger 20.

The upper pivot assembly 18 is inserted in the opening 19 of the door panel by striking the plunger 20 with a hammer. Engagement of the flange 65 with the metal cap 60 distributes the force uniformly around the sleeve and applies it to the cylindrical body portion of the sleeve. The ribs 63 frictionally engage the sides of the opening 19 as do the projections 64, the latter because of their shape tending to prevent inadvertent removal of the assembly.

I claim:

1. In a folding door, the combination comprising a track adapted to be mounted horizontally in a door opening,

a plurality of door panels hinged about substantially vertical axes to one another,

an upper pivot assembly,

one of said door panels having an upwardly opening vertical opening into which said upper pivot assembly extends,

a guide assembly,

another of said door panels having an upwardly opening vertical opening therein into which said guide assembly extends,

said upper pivot assembly comprising a sleeve of organic plastic material,

said one door panel having an upwardly opening vertical opening into which said sleeve extends,

a pivot pin,

said pivot pin extending into said sleeve,

a spring interposed between said pivot pin and a portion of said sleeve for yieldingly urging said pivot pin outwardly,

said sleeve of said upper pivot assembly having a radially outwardly extending flange,

a metal cap encircling said flange and having an opening therein,

the opening in said cap having a lesser diameter than the opening in said sleeve whereby said cap guides the upper portion of said plunger,

said plunger having a radially extending flange thereon above said metal cap,

said sleeve having a radially inwardly extending projection spaced from the lower end thereof,

said pivot pin having an enlarged portion thereof engaging said projection to limit the outward movement of said pivot pin,

and a lower pivot assembly comprising a sleeve of organic plastic material,

said one door panel having a downwardly opening vertical opening therein into which said sleeve frictionally extends,

a pivot pin,

said pivot pin having a noncircular section and a portion thereof threaded,

said sleeve having an opening therein having a complementary noncircular cross section,

a nut threaded on said pin,

4 a portion of the upper end of said pivot pin being unthreaded, means for journalling the nut on the lower end of the sleeve, said means for journalling said nut on said sleeve comprising a radially outwardly extending flange on the lower end of said sleeve,

said nut having a radially outwardly extending flange in engagement with said flange on said sleeve,

and means for rotatably interconnecting said flanges comprising a metal cap having side edges crimped over the flanges.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 including a bracket assembly for said lower pivot assembly comprising a bracket having an opening therein,

a plastic fitment extending into said opening,

said plastic fitment being generally tubular and having a bottom wall,

the vertical extent of said fitment being greater than that of the bracket such that the bottom wall is adapted to engage the floor,

said pivot pin extending into said fitment against said bottom wall.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said fitment has a flange extending laterally in overlying relationship to said bracket.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said bottom wall extends diametrically across the bottom of said fitment and has portions thereof spaced from the inner surface of the tubular wall of the fitment thereby defining flexible portions of said tubular wall,

said flexible portions having projections extending laterally outwardly which are adapted to be snapped beneath a portion of the bracket to trap the fitment between the flange and the projection.

5. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said sleeve of the upper pivot assembly has axially extending circumferentially spaced ribs thereon,

said sleeve of the upper pivot assembly having annular projections on the lower end thereof below said annular projection on the inner surface thereof.

6. For use in a folding door having a plurality of door panels hinged about substantially vertical axes to one another,

a lower pivot assembly comprising a sleeve of organic plastic material adapted to extend into a downwardly opening vertical opening in a door panel,

a pivot pin,

said pivot pin having a noncircular section and a portion thereof threaded,

said sleeve having an opening therein having a complementary noncircular cross section,

a nut,

means for journalling the nut on the lower end of the sleeve,

said means for journalling said nut on said sleeve comprising a radially outwardly extending flange on the lower end of said sleeve,

said nut having a radially outwardly extending flange in engagement with said flange on said sleeve,

and means for rotatably interconnecting said flanges comprising a metal cap having side edges crimped over the flanges.

7. For use in a folding door having a pluralit of door panels hinged about substantially vertical axes to one another, an upper pivot assembly comprising a sleeve of organic plastic material adapted to extend in an opening in a door panel,

a pivot pin,

said pivot pin exttending into said sleeve,

a spring interposed between said pivot pin and a portion of said sleeve for yieldingly urging said pivot pin outwardly,

said sleeve of said upper pivot assembly having a radial- References Cited 1y oltwardly extellding flange UNITED STATES PATENTS a metal cap encircling said flange and having an opening therein, 1,879,421 9/1932 Nalle 16 19 the opening in said cap having a lesser diameter than 1,929,743 10/ 1933 Jarvls et the Opening in said sleeve whereby said cap guides 0 2,339,577 1/1944 Nalle 1619 the upper portion of said lunger, 2,499,277 /1 50 Nalle 16-42 X said plunger having a radially extending flange th on 2,898,987 8/ 1959 F d 160-206 above said metal cap, 2,992,449 961 Hayd0 k 1643 said sleeve having a radially inwardly extending 10 3,054,447 9/ 2 Brydolf 160--206 jection spaced from the lower end thereof, 3,191,214 6/1965 pf'oilman 0-206 X said pivot pin having an enlarged portion thereof 3,233,657 2/1966 PY 106206 gaging said projection to limit the outward move- 3285324 11/1966 Stem et aL 16 151 X ment of aid ivot pin Leach 2,943,675 7/1960 Ford 160206 8. The combination set forth in claim 7 wherein said 1 sleeve has axially extending circumferentially spaced 3391723 7/1968 Klrby 160 206 ribs thereon, DENNIS L. TAYLOR, Primary Examiner said sleeve having annular PIOJeClIIOHS on the lower end thereof below said annular projection on the inner US. Cl. X.R.

surface thereof. 20 16130 

